[Ohio-Talk] Local Chapter Meetings

[Richard Payne]

The local chapters of the National Federation of the Blind state affiliate
are where the efforts of the Federation begin. Chapter meetings are an
opportunity for NFB members to conduct the business of the Federation and
plan events that will bring in new members to our organization. In many
cases, local chapters are how newly blind individuals find out what
resources exist for understanding blindness and low vision. Without chapter
meetings and membership, the grass roots advocacy nature of the NFB would
cease to exist.
Chapter meetings should occur once a month and are scheduled at a time when
it is most convenient for the majority of the membership. The chapter
president and board members should be present for the meetings of the
chapter and should have board meetings as necessary and at the pleasure of
the president to develop the chapter and make possible an engaging, fun, and
productive chapter meeting. Typically chapter meetings are from two to three
hours in length. Since the local chapter is in many cases the first exposure
to the NFB a newly blind person has, meetings should have a structure but
should always be a welcoming and nurturing environment!
The general expectation of running for and becoming a chapter board member
of any kind is attendance at chapter meetings and a commitment of the time
necessary to do the work of the Federation. Keep this in mind when
considering an office. That being said, it is not a requirement that one
hold office to further the goals of the Federation. Our ability to meet the
goals and objectives of the Federation requires us working together
regardless of any titles or offices that one might hold. The important part
to remember is that together we accomplish what no one can alone.
Below are some ideas on engaging with your members and making them aware of
meetings and events:
*	Be sure to announce chapter meetings via email and on listservs. A
good rule of thumb is to remind people of the meeting ten days before and
two days before. Sharing the agenda for the meeting at this time is helpful
in a number of ways. Doing so will keep members aware of what will happen at
the meeting and can encourage them to attend should there be a speaker or
topic of interest to them being discussed.
*	Social media! Have a chapter member or board member oversee your
social media feeds. This person should be well acquainted with our brand
standards. Social media is a great way to reach existing and potential
members.
*	Calls and text messages to members. Again, assign a chapter member
willing to help, or a board member such as the secretary to call and text
members with reminders. For larger chapters splitting this duty may lighten
the load on one person and help all board members get to better know the
membership of the chapter. Be sure to highlight any special guests or
activities you have planned for the meeting.
Each chapter meeting will be unique, as these meetings should reflect the
diversity of our membership. However, there are several core components
which must occur at any chapter meeting:
*	Welcome and introduction: It is important that the chapter president
take the lead and help everyone feel welcome. Make sure to have everyone
introduce themselves and announce any special guests or speakers.
*	The NFB Pledge
<https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm98/bm980115.htm> : Reciting
the pledge at the beginning of a meeting focuses the group on the reason for
the gathering. It also highlights our philosophy as an organization and
serves as a good introduction for any newcomers. In addition, some chapters
choose to recite the One Minute Message. Again, this is a good idea as it
highlights our mission and core beliefs.
*	The Presidential Release
<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases> :
The Presidential Release serves a variety of purposes. First, it is the one
way our membership can feel directly connected to our President. It gives a
voice and human touch to all our initiatives. Second, it is the primary
method by which the President of the organization communicates national
initiatives and reports on the progress of our work. Last, it creates
community. By listening and discussing the release, members will gain a
deeper understanding of what we do and be more motivated to continue helping
in the efforts of the organization. President Riccobono wrote an article on
the importance of the Presidential Release that can be found at: An Open
Letter to Federation Chapters Regarding the Presidential Release
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1804/bm180410.htm> . In
the appendix you will find a document detailing the methods to access the
Presidential Release.
*	Voting in and recognition of new chapter members: It is important
for new members to understand that membership means a commitment to the
organization and that there is organizational recognition that membership is
an important milestone.
*	Treasurers report and minutes: Some chapters choose to send out the
minutes and reports so members are prepared to discuss them during the
meeting. Regardless, reading some of the key highlights and approving both
the treasurer reports and minutes is an important step. As a chapter leader,
you may find the documents Tips For Running an Effective Meeting, and Basic
Parliamentary Procedures to be useful.
>From here, there are many ways one can add to the local chapter meeting.
Philosophy discussions about blindness and low vision are very popular
topics. Braille Monitor article reading/discussion is another popular
subject. Coming up with themes for legislative advocacy on a local level or
discussions about transportation issues. An effective way to engage your
members is by finding out what they would like to have included in the
chapter meetings. Chapter meetings should not be boring; they should speak
to the membership in ways that are unique. Chapter members are full of
knowledge and expertise that may interest other members. So, get to know
your membership and get them involved in planning and running a chapter
meeting. Have activities such as community service or gatherings as part of
your meetings. Once you take care of the business items outlined above, the
rest of the time can be used to illustrate that being part of the National
Federation of the Blind means that we live the lives we want.
Tips for New Chapter Presidents
Long-time Federationist Barbara Pierce compiled many ideas, projects, and
principles that we in the organized blind movement have found useful in
building our local chapters. Below you will find highlights from what
Barbara has to say in an Open Letter to New Chapter Presidents:
*	There are some organizational matters that you or the board should
decide without bothering the general membership. These are things that
individuals can and should express opinions about but on which chapter
meeting time should not be wasted. I am thinking of transportation
arrangements and meeting location, for example. 
*	Generally speaking the meeting location should be central, free or
inexpensive, and accessible by public transportation.
*	Minutes should record all decisions made by the organization and
list all matters discussed. The chapter needs a record of the substantive
actions of the organization and the policies decided. Minutes and
treasurer's reports should be maintained in an accessible format.
*	Requests to the treasurer to make payments should be written and
include appropriate documentation (i.e. receipts).
*	Before you arrive at the meeting, you should have planned your
agenda. This of course should include old and new business so that other
people can bring up things that they would like to discuss.
*	The first thing on your agenda (after the roll call, the reading of
the minutes of the previous meeting, and the treasurer's report) should be
playing the presidential release. You should listen to the release before
the meeting so that, if there is information that you need to know more
about, you can get a briefing from a state officer before people begin
asking you questions you can't answer.
*	The release is very important because the chapter must feel itself
to be an integral part of the whole tightly knit organization that reaches
across the nation. Part of your job as president is to help every member of
the Federation in your area understand that President Riccobono is a real
friend. Everyone should recognize his voice and understand that the issues
that affect the organization as a whole must be recognized as important in
your city.
*	Pools of money at the local or state levels are not likely to
encourage health in the Federation. People are less likely to scramble to
make money if the savings account is significant and certificates of deposit
are squirreled away in the bank. They will be inclined to see efforts to
vote contributions to the state or national organizations as attempts to
"get our money away from us." Though it is certainly true to say that our
organization, like most others, is only as strong as its local chapters, it
is equally true that a dollar spent at the national level will do tenfold
the good that the same dollar can do at the state level and one hundredfold
the good that it can do at the local level. Money must, of course, be spent
at the chapter level, and there are many programs that cannot work except at
the grassroots, but if we want to change the climate of public opinion and
the quality of life for blind people everywhere, we must work nationally. If
we ever hope to improve services to the state's blind, we must work at that
level, and such efforts must be undertaken by entities beyond the local
chapter.
*	One of your first tasks as president will be to appoint committees.
Some of these should be standing committees, and some should be ad hoc.
Typical standing committees include Ways and Means, to do fundraising;
Nominating, to recruit a slate of board and officer candidates when
appropriate; Legislative, to work with the state organization on educating
your local representatives in the state legislature and the Congress; Public
Relations, to do local PR and to help with state and national projects;
Associates, to encourage chapter members to recruit family, friends, and
acquaintances as members at large who will become associates of the NFB;
Membership, to build the organization by recruiting new members, and social
media, to generate social media posts, a Facebook page, and perhaps a local
listserv.
*	I would not try to appoint all committees immediately. Like a
juggler, you must get them launched one at a time and learn to keep the ones
already appointed working well before starting another project. Your aim is
to make everyone feel that he or she is playing an important part in the
ongoing functioning of the chapter. Some will be more effective committee
members than others. You must decide how to divide the chapter talent among
the committees so that no group has too much weight to carry and too few
people to carry it. Some people will be able to give good service on more
than one committee; others will be happiest putting all their effort into
one activity. You must balance the needs and the preferences as best you
can. This task will get easier as you get to know the people with whom you
are working. Try to establish the kind of relationship with your committee
chairs that will enable them to turn to you with their problems for advice
and encouragement. Your job as president is not to do everything but to
enable others to get it done.
*	Assisting chapter members with their personal problems: As people
come to know and trust one another, they will volunteer their troubles. The
newly blind have many issues to grapple with. Others will have problems with
the state rehabilitation agency, Social Security, employers, schools, or
over-protective family and friends. You may want to form a Human Rights
Committee to work intensively with these people, or you may wish to use a
general discussion of one person's dilemma (having previously checked with
the individual to ensure that they are happy to discuss it) to educate
everyone about these issues and to bring the group together in a caring
relationship with each other. This is tricky to achieve but valuable when it
works.
*	Establishing a Calling Committee: This is or can be different from
the Membership Committee, which seeks to build the chapter by finding new
members. The Calling Committee builds the chapter from within. Its members
call everyone with a reminder about the coming meeting. The members keep
tabs on who is ill, who is bereaved, or who is just having a hard time for
some other reason. Cards and calls can help at times like these. It is also
nice to celebrate together graduations, births, marriages, and the other
happy milestones in people's lives.
*	It is also a good idea from time to time to plan for presentations
at chapter meetings. Talking with state or national legislators about
matters of concern to the blind is a very good use of chapter time. Having a
presentation by a teacher of blind children and then talking about our
concerns is also important. If members are unsure about the services of
local agencies that purport to serve the blind, invite someone from the
agency in to explain the programs and answer questions. Anytime a member has
trouble with being denied service because he or she is blind, you have an
excellent opportunity for a program devoted to that problem.
*	We are all here to help each other. Our goal is the full integration
of the blind into society on terms of equality. To do this we must support
each other, the newly blind, the parents and families of blind children, and
the public, which knows next to nothing about the capacity of blind people.
If you stop to think about it, you know quite a lot about this whole
subject. You will make a wonderful president. Everyone in the state and
national leadership is here to help you. Good luck.
		

Richard Payne, President National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

937/829/3368
Rchpay7 at gmail.com <mailto:Rchpay7 at gmail.com> 

www.nfbohio.org <http://www.nfbohio.org> 

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and
all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination,
and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.


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